Taiwan’s army has unveiled new simulators for Stinger air defense systems, demonstrating how troops practice tracking airborne targets, including drones, before live-fire exercises, the Taipei Times reported.
The Army Artillery Training Command displayed equipment for both shoulder-fired Stingers and a dual-mounted version.
The simulators allow repeated practice without expending missiles and help prepare crews for live-fire exercises.
For the portable Stinger, soldiers train with a simulator that replicates a system weighing nearly 16 kilograms (35 pounds), requiring strength and balance to operate.
The dual-mounted simulator uses a screen to recreate the area around Jioupeng Bay in southern Taiwan, where the military conducts live-fire drills.
Trainees can practice locating and locking onto targets while communicating and sharing position information.
Instructors can change the simulated weather, terrain, and target type, including drones.
An instructor said personnel spend 30 to 45 days learning to operate the system, with further training for those qualifying as instructors.
Stinger Supply
As Taipei sought to expand its Stinger inventory, US officials were reportedly considering local assembly or production in 2024.
A proposed assessment would examine the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology’s technical, manufacturing, and cybersecurity capabilities.
Taiwan operates Stingers on dual launchers and Humvee-mounted Avenger systems, as well as an air-launched version carried by Apache attack helicopters.
The Asian nation received several dozen portable FIM-92 Stinger systems through a $500-million US military aid package in 2023.
The missiles were reportedly delivered in a shoulder-fired configuration.
